Closure structure of a container



5, 1963 K. w. EBERSPACHER 3,

CLOSURE STRUCTURE OF A CONTAINER Filed May 20, 1960 Jn vergjo r: KHRL A/z 1'; R- EBE'RSPHCHER firromvsrs United States Patent Ofifice 3,076,583CLOSURE STRUCTURE OF A CONTAINER Karl Walter Eberspticher, Bergstrasse4,

Lage-Lipp'e, Germany Filed May 20, 1960, Ser. No. 30,651 Claimspriority, application Germany May 23, 1959 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-493) Theinvention relates to a closure structure for a pliable container such asa squeezable tube containing a substance of liquid or pasty consistency,for instance, tooth paste, cosmetics, food, such as mustard, cleaningsubstances, etc.

More particularly, the invention relates to a self-closing closurestructure of the kind in which a closure cap normally closes thecontainer by engagement with a closure member disposed coaxially withthe cap and the cap is slidable into a dispensing position in referenceto the closure member by pressure exerted upon the container.

Self-closing closure structures of the general kind above referred to asheretofore known, have been found not to be satisfactory. The substancewithin the tube tends to ooze out of the closure structure not only atthe dispensing opening thereof but also between component parts of theclosure structure.

It is the broad object of the present invention to provide a novel andimproved closure structure of the kind above referred to whicheffectively prevents such oozing out of the closure structure.

The aforementioned object, features and advantage of the invention andother objects, features and advantages which will be pointed outhereinafter are attained by providing a closure structure comprising aclosure cap having an inner conically formed surface which is in sealingengagement with a closure member in any position of the cap and theclosure member relative to each other, that is, in both the closureposition and the open position of the cap and also in any intermediateposition.

It has been found advantageous to form the closure member coacting withthe cap with a terminal sealing portion of frusto-conical configuration.This terminal portion has a certain inherent flexibility due to its slimcross section and as a result it will abut against a conical surfaceportion of the closure cap with a certain pressure resulting in areliable seal between the cap and the closure member in any position ofthe two members relative to each other.

The closure member is preferably enlarged at its end opposite to thatterminating in the sealing portion so that the container body proper maybe tightly secured to the enlarged part of the closure member.

To strengthen further the aforedescribed sealing action, the innerconical surface of the closure cap and the sealing portion of theclosure member meet each other preferably at an acute angle.

In the accompanying drawing, a preferred embodiment of the invention isshown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a self-closing structure according to theinvention in the closed portion thereof.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the closurestructure in its open position, and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a closure member of the closure structure.

Referring now to the figures in detail, the exemplified closurestructure comprises a generally tubular outer closure member generallydesignated by 1. The closure member is made of an inherently slightlyelastic material, preferaby a plastic such as polyethylene. As can bestbe 3,076,583 Patented Feb. 5, 1963 seen in FIG. 3, closure membercomprises an enlarged cylindrical socket or base portion 2 continued ina cylindrical portion 4 of reduced diameter. Portion 4 terminates in aslender frusto-conical part 10 which constitutes part of sealing meansas will be more fully described hereinafter. A central inner closuremember 8 is fixedly mounted within the interior of member 1. The closuremember 8 is coaxial with closure member 1 and has a slanted fiat rim 9.The angles defined by rim 9 and sealing portion 10 are indicated in FIG.3.

Closure member 1 is fixedly secured with its enlarged portion 2 in anopening of a container 3 which may be visualized as a tube. The tube andclosure member may be secured to each other by any suitable means suchas a tapered surface. The container is continued beyond part 2 andterminates in an inwardly turned flange 3".

The closure structure further comprises a closure cap 5 having in itsbase a discharge opening 5. The cap is also preferably made of a plasticsuch as polystyrene. It is slidably received on portion 4 of closuremember 1 and terminates in outwardly turned flange. A loaded spring 11is fitted between the flanges of cap 5 and tube 3 respectively, to urgethe cap into the position of FIG. 1, that is, the closedposition of theclosure structure.

The inner wall portion of cap 5 adjacent to closure member 8 isconically formed at 6 and coacts with closure member 8 and morespecifically with the slanted rim 9 thereof, either to close thedischarge opening 5' by abutting against rim 9 or to uncover an annularpassage 7 for dispensing a desired quantity of the content 17 in tube 3through closure member 1 and the cap opening 5'.

To effect a tight seal between closure member 1 and cap 5 in anyposition of the latter, the frusto-conical sealing portion 10 abutsagainst the conical inner surface 6 of cap 5 with a sliding pressureengagement. Due to the aforementioned inherent elasticity of portion 10combined with the action of spring 11 the rim 16 of sealing portion 10constituting an elastically flexible tongue and will be continuouslypressed against the cap surface.

Spring 11 also serves to return cap 5 into the closure position afterthe cap has been forced into open position by the pressure exerted uponthe cap by the tube content in response to pressure exerted upon thecontainer.

The closure structure as hereinbefore described, functions as follows:

In order to open the closure structure, tube 3 is squeezed and as aresult cap 5 will be forced away from its engagement with closure member8. The content of the tube is now dispensed through the annular passage7 and opening 5. After the desired quantity has oozed out from the capand the pressure upon the tube is relaxed, spring 11 will return the capfrom the position of FIG. 2 into the position of FIG. 1. During the capmovement into either direction, edge 16 of portion 10 remains inengagement with the wall of cap 5 as previously explained. As a result,the tube content cannot penetrate into gap 13 and from that gap intospace 14 and out of the tube at a point other than the desired dischargeopening.

The effective sealing action obtained by the closure structure of theinvention does not increase in any way the force necessary to open theclosure structure for dispensing part of the tube content. On thecontrary, the pressure of sealing edge 16 against the cap surface 6assists the opening of the cap and thus reduces the required openingforce.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to acertain now preferred example and embodiment of the invention it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art after understanding theinvention, that various changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it isintended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in theappended claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1; A closure structure for dispensing the content of a pliablecontainer, comprising an outer tubular closure member, said closuremember being adapted to be tightly secured at one end in an opening ofthe container for dispensing the container content through said closuremember, a central inner closure member secured within the outer closuremember coaxially therewith and protruding from the other end thereof todefine an annular discharge passage between the inner and the outerclosure member, a closure cap slidably fitted over said outer closuremember and said central inner closure member coaxially therewith, saidclosure cap being axially displaceable in reference to the outer andinner closure members between a closed position closing said passage andan open position uncovering said passage, the other end of the outerclosure member terminating in an elastically flexible tongue slidablyengaging an inner wall portion of said closure cap, said tongue beingbiased into continuous sealing engagement with said wall portion in anyposition of axial displacement of the closure cap in reference to saidinner and outer closure members, and spring means coacting with saidclosure cap to bias the same into the said passage closing position.

2. A closure structure according to claim 1 wherein said inner wallportion of the cap has a conical cross sectional configuration, saidtongue being biased against said conical wall portion.

3. A closure structure according to claim 1 wherein said inner wallportion of the cap and the outer wall of said tongue of the outerclosure member define different angles in reference to the common centeraxis of the cap and the closure members.

4. A closure structure according to claim 1 wherein the outer wall ofsaid outer closure member is generally cylindrical, part of thecylindrical wall being reduced in diameter, the wide cylindrical partbeing adapted to be secured to said container and the narrow cylindricalpart receiving said cap upon its outside wall and terminating in saidtongue.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,877,882 Jones Sept. 21, 1932 1,911,616 Gruber May 30, 1933 1,928,895Jensen Oct. 3, 1933 1,971,371 Donnelly Aug. 28, 1934 1,975,878 ThompsonOct. 9, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 461,833 Italy Feb. 15, 1951

1. A CLOSURE STRUCTURE FOR DISPENSING THE CONTENT OF A PLIABLECONTAINER, COMPRISING AN OUTER TUBULAR CLOSURE MEMBER, SAID CLOSUREMEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE TIGHTLY SECURED AT ONE END IN AN OPENING OFTHE CONTAINER FOR DISPENSING THE CONTAINER CONTENT THROUGH SAID CLOSUREMEMBER, A CENTRAL INNER CLOSURE MEMBER SECURED WITHIN THE OUTER CLOSUREMEMBER COAXIALLY THEREWITH AND PROTRUDING FROM THE OTHER END THEREOF TODEFINE AN ANNULAR DISCHARGE PASSAGE BETWEEN THE INNER AND THE OUTERCLOSURE MEMBER, A CLOSURE CAP SLIDABLY FITTED OVER SAID OUTER CLOSUREMEMBER AND SAID CENTRAL INNER CLOSURE MEMBER COAXIALLY THEREWITH, SAIDCLOSURE CAP BEING AXIALLY DISPLACEABLE IN REFERENCE TO THE OUTER ANDINNER CLOSURE MEMBERS BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION CLOSING SAID PASSAGE ANDAN OPEN POSITION UNCOVERING SAID PASSAGE, THE OTHER END OF THE OUTERCLOSURE MEMBER TERMINATING IN AN ELASTICALLY FLEXIBLE TONGUE SLIDABLYENGAGING AN INNER WALL PORTION OF SAID CLOSURE CAP, SAID TONGUE BEINGBIASED INTO CONTINUOUS SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID WALL PORTION IN ANYPOSITION OF AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OF THE CLOSURE CAP IN REFERENCE TO SAIDINNER AND OUTER CLOSURE MEMBERS, AND SPRING MEANS COACTING WITH SAIDCLOSURE CAP TO BIAS THE SAME INTO THE SAID PASSAGE CLOSING POSITION.